Heino Eller (7 March 1887 – 16 June 1970) was an Estonian composer and pedagogue, known as the founder of contemporary Estonian symphonic music.

Life

Eller was born in

Tartu Tartu is the second largest city in Estonia after the Northern European country's political and financial capital, Tallinn. Tartu has a population of 91,407 (as of 2021). It is southeast of Tallinn and 245 kilometres (152 miles) northeast of ...

, where he took private lessons in violin and music theory, played in several ensembles and orchestras, and performed as violin soloist. In 1907 he entered the

Saint Petersburg Conservatory The N. A. Rimsky-Korsakov Saint Petersburg State Conservatory (russian: Санкт-Петербургская государственная консерватория имени Н. А. Римского-Корсакова) (formerly known as th ...

to study violin. From 1908 to 1911 he was a law student. In 1920 Eller graduated from the conservatory renamed to Petrograd Conservatory. His younger brother was sculptor Aleksander Eller. From 1920 to 1940, Eller was a professor of music theory and composition at the Tartu Higher School for Music. During this time he formed the Tartu school of composition, which gave rise to many composers, including

Eduard Tubin Eduard Tubin ( – 17 November 1982) was an Estonian composer, conductor, and choreographer. Life Tubin was born in Torila, Tartu County, Governorate of Livonia, then part of the Russian Empire. Both his parents were music lovers, and his fat ...

. In 1940 he became a professor of composition at the Tallinn Conservatory and taught there until his death in 1970. Eller was a teacher of composition. The school he formed in Tartu counterbalanced the so-called Tallinn school headed by Artur Kapp. Eller's pedagogical talent is versatile. The list of his pupils offers the best proof of this: each of them has created a distinguished original style. Among his students were

Villem Kapp Villem Kapp (7 September 1913 – 24 March 1964) was an Estonians, Estonian composer, organist and music teacher. Life Born in Suure-Jaani, Estonia, Villem Kapp was the son of who was a sacristan, teacher and choir director. Villem Kapp gradu ...

Kaljo Raid Kaljo Raid (4 March 1921 – 21 January 2005) was an Estonian composer, cellist and pastor. He was born in Tallinn. One of three children, he had an older brother and a twin sister. He studied composition at Tallinn Conservatory under Heino Eller ...

Boris Kõrver Boris Kõrver (12 April 1917, Revel – 17 August 1994, Tallinn) was a Soviet and Estonian composer. In 1950, he graduated from Tallinn State Conservatory in composition specialty. During World War II, he belonged to State Artistic Ensembles of ...

, Anatoli Garshnek,

Leo Normet Leo Normet (17 September 1922 Pärnu – 27 December 1995 Tallinn) was an Estonian composer, musicologist. In 1950, he graduated from Tallinn State Conservatory in composition speciality. Since 1954, he taught music history at Tallinn State Cons ...

Valter Ojakäär Valter Ojakäär (10 March 1923 Pärnu – 27 October 2016 Tallinn) was an Estonian composer, instrumentalist, music publicist and author. In 1956 he graduated from Tallinn State Conservatory in composition specialty. 1945–1970 he was a concer ...

Uno Naissoo Uno Naissoo (25 March 1928 Viljandi – 5 January 1980 Tallinn) was an Estonian composer and jazz musician. In 1952, he graduated from Tallinn State Conservatory. Bteween 1952–1980, he taught music theory subjects at Georg Ots Tallinn Music S ...

, Arne Oit, Jaan Rääts, Heino Jürisalu,

Arvo Pärt Arvo Pärt (; born 11 September 1935) is an Estonian composer of contemporary classical music. Since the late 1970s, Pärt has worked in a minimalist style that employs tintinnabuli, a compositional technique he invented. Pärt's music is in pa ...

Alo Põldmäe Alo Põldmäe (born 22 May 1945 in Tartu) is an Estonian composer. In 1970, he graduated from Tallinn State Conservatory. 1972–1980, he was music editor in film studio Tallinnfilm. In 2009, he founded Estonian National Piano Museum. Since 197 ...

Lepo Sumera Lepo Sumera (8 May 1950 – 2 June 2000) was an Estonian composer and teacher. Life and career He was born in Tallinn and studied with Veljo Tormis in his teens, and from 1968, with Heino Eller at the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre (t ...

, Boris Parsadanian,

Alfred Karindi Alfred Karindi (30 May 1901 – 13 April 1969) was an Estonian organist and composer. Life and work Alfred Karindi was born on 30 May 1901 in the village of Kõnnu, Illuka Parish. In 1920 he entered the Tartu Higher School of Music where he ...

Eduard Oja Eduard Oja (17 January 1905 in Palupõhja – 16 April 1950 in Tartu) was an Estonian composer, conductor, music teacher and critic. His father was a forest warden. Between 1919 and 1925 he studied at Tartu Teachers' College at Tartu University ...

Olav Roots Olav Roots (26 February 1910 – 30 January 1974) was an Estonian conductor, pianist and composer. Roots was born in Uderna. He studied at the Music School of Tartu from 1923 to 1928, studying piano with Artur Lemba and composition under H ...

and

Karl Leichter Karl Leichter (13 October 1902 in Näpi, Rakvere Parish – 7 March 1987 in Tallinn) was an Estonian musicologist. He graduated in 1929 in theory and composition, studying under Heino Eller with pupils such as Eduard Tubin, Alfred Karindi, ...

Selected works

Eller primarily composed instrumental music. His symphonic works, especially ''Koit'' and ''Videvik'', break new ground for Estonian symphonic music. His musical language contains many national traits, but he was influenced by 20th-century styles as diverse as impressionism and expressionism. * ''Koit'' (''Dawn''), tone poem (1915–1918, 1920) * ''Videvik'' (''Twilight''), tone poem (1917) * ''Moderato sostenuto'' in D minor for voice, viola and piano (1921) * ''Elegia'' for harp and string orchestra (1931) * Concerto in B minor for violin and orchestra (1937) * ''Five Pieces'' for string orchestra (1953)

Family

Heino Eller was married to pianist Anna Kremer who was executed at a concentration camp by German occupational authorities in 1942 because of her

Jewish Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...

ethnicity.

Bibliography

* Mart Humal, Reet Remmel. ''Heino Eller in modo mixolydio''. Tallinn: Eesti Teatri- ja Muusikamuuseum: SE&JS, 2008. ,

References

External links

Heino Eller at the Estonian Music Information Centre
* * * 1887 births 1970 deaths People from Tartu People from Kreis Dorpat 20th-century classical composers 20th-century Estonian composers 20th-century male musicians 20th-century violinists Estonian violinists Soviet composers Soviet male composers Male classical composers Saint Petersburg Conservatory alumni People's Artists of the USSR People's Artists of the Estonian Soviet Socialist Republic Recipients of the Order of Lenin Recipients of the Order of the Red Banner of Labour Burials at Metsakalmistu {{Estonia-composer-stub